BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASECalifornia Desert District Office

Release Date:
04/30/14

Contacts:

Stephen Razo 951-697-5217; email: srazo@blm.gov

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Kyla Hogan 512-869-3225; email kyla@mustangheritagefoundation.org

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News Release No. CA-CDD-14-38

Extreme Mustang Makeover Returning to Horsetown, USA

The Extreme Mustang Makeover will make its annual visit to Norco, California, Friday and Saturday, May 16-17. The event, held at the George Ingalls Equestrian Event Center, will feature an exciting competition that challenges trainers to gentle and ride a wild horse in approximately 100 days. A youth division and a wild horse adoption hosted by the Bureau of Land Management are new highlights for 2014.

Forty-two trainers picked up Mustang geldings, ages 4 to 5, in early April and spent the spring preparing their horse for the event. These horses, which were virtually untouched by humans, represent dozens of wild horse herds located all over the West.

Mustang and rider teams will compete in preliminary classes, including handling and conditioning, a pattern class, and a trail course with in-hand and riding obstacles. The top 10 horse and trainer pairs will advance to the freestyle finals, in which they have the chance to show off their skills and creativity with music, costumes, and props. The freestyle finals are a thrilling conclusion that showcases the Mustangs' trainability, athleticism, and grace. Trainers will compete for about $10,000 in prize money.

Those attending will have two opportunities to adopt a Mustang at this year's event. All adult competing mustangs will be available for public adoption on Saturday evening, May 17, through a competitive bid auction immediately following the freestyle finals. Sixteen untrained Mustangs and four burros will be available for adoption Friday, 8 am to 5 pm, and Saturday, 8 am to 4 pm. The Bureau of Land Management must approve potential adopters before they take a Mustang home. Approval can be done on-site and includes facility and horse trailer requirements. For more information about the wild horse adoption opportunity, please contact CJ Wallace of the Ridgecrest Regional Wild Horse & Burro Corrals at cwallace@blm.gov or 760-384-5765. For national information about the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program, please call 866-4MUSTANGS or visit blm.gov.

The Extreme Mustang Makeovers are made possible through a partnership with the Bureau of Land Management and the generosity of sponsors Ram Trucks, Western Horseman, Zoetis, Vetericyn, Cowboy Magic, Gist Silversmiths, Martin Saddlery and Classic Equine, and Smith Brothers.

About Extreme Mustang Makeover

The purpose of the Extreme Mustang Makeover is to showcase the beauty, versatility and trainability of these rugged horses that roam freely on public lands throughout the West, where they are protected by the BLM under federal law. The BLM periodically removes excess animals from the range to ensure herd health and protect rangeland resources. Thousands of the removed animals are then made available each year to the public for adoption. More than 5,000 wild horses have been adopted through Mustang Heritage Foundation events and programs since 2007.

About the Mustang Heritage Foundation

The mission of the Mustang Heritage Foundation and the goal of the Extreme Mustang Makeover events are to increase the adoption of Mustangs across the country. The Mustang Heritage Foundation created the Extreme Mustang Makeover events to showcase the recognized value of Mustangs through a national training competition. The nonprofit organization also created the Trainer Incentive Program and Camp Wildfire to raise awareness about America's Mustangs. For more information, visit www.mustangheritagefoundation.org.

About the Bureau of Land Management

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's mission is to manage and conserve the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations under our mandate of multiple-use and sustained yield. In fiscal year 2013, the BLM generated $4.7 billion in receipts from public lands. Visit blm.gov for more information.